Vinh Xuong Bakery

"This is the banh mi you’ll compare all other banh mi to. The one you’ll go on and on about on first dates and then console yourself with when there’s no second date. (They needed to know the chicken is marinated in lemongrass! The baguettes are baked there each morning!) The family-owned spot has been spreading the pâté and pickling the vegetables for decades, and while the original spot is in the Far East Center, we gravitate toward the cheery Alameda cafe with a handful of tables and full coffee bar. Stop by one day for lunch and who knows, maybe that barbecued pork sandwich-appreciating soulmate will be at the sunny cafe, sipping an iced coffee and waiting for you to tell them about those baguettes." - Allyson Reedy

"An emblem of Denver’s vibrant Vietnamese community, the takeout-only flagship of this beloved bánh mì shop in the Little Saigon Business District gave many locals their first taste of the classic sandwich even before it was widely popular. The second branch, meanwhile, offers seating, a coffee bar, and other amenities just a few blocks away." - Gigi Sukin, Ruth Tobias

"Meatball, tofu, pork, and all, Denver’s standard-bearer for bánh mì serves up eight versions of the staple Vietnamese sandwich (not to mention three gluten-free alternatives) — not one over $6.75. May as well take two." - Rebecca Treon, Eater Staff, Ruth Tobias

"French baguettes first came to Vietnam during the Indochina colonization, but by the 1950s, the banh mi sandwich gave the bread a distinctly Vietnamese twist — and made it a staple for the popular sandwich. Vinh Xuong’s banh mi bread hits the right mix of crispy and soft and the bakery supplies not only its own three eateries but several other Vietnamese restaurants along the Federal corridor." - Rebecca Treon

"Widely known across Denver for a perfectly balanced banh mi sandwich, Vinh Xuong also impresses with oversized pork buns. Stop in early morning for a warm steamed one." - Lucy Beaugard